Doctors Warn Against Scrolling on the Toilet
So here’s something you might not have thought about, but it’s probably affecting way more people than we realize. Doctors are now warning that spending too much time scrolling on your phone while sitting on the toilet can actually raise your risk of developing haemorrhoids, also known as piles. And yes, the advice being given is to limit yourself to what they call “a two TikTok toilet break.”
The idea comes from new research where doctors looked at how people’s bathroom habits have changed in the age of smartphones. They found that when people take their phones to the toilet, they end up staying there far longer than those who leave their devices outside. This extra time on the throne is not just about relaxation—it’s linked to higher pressure on the anal area, which makes veins more likely to swell and cause haemorrhoids.
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To put numbers on it, the study showed that people who scrolled while on the loo were 46% more likely to have haemorrhoids compared with people who went phoneless. About two-thirds of participants admitted they always take their phone with them, and over a third of those spent more than five minutes in the bathroom, compared with only a tiny fraction of people who didn’t bring their phones along.
Now, the risk doesn’t come from straining harder—surprisingly, the smartphone users weren’t actually more constipated. The problem is the passive pressure that builds up just from sitting too long on that open toilet seat. Your pelvic floor isn’t supported the same way as when you sit on a chair, so blood can pool in the veins, and over time, this leads to haemorrhoids. Doctors say that posture plays a role, too. When people hunch over their phones, it actually makes bowel movements less smooth, adding another layer of stress on the body.
This isn’t just an issue for older adults. Even though the study involved people over 45, doctors are already noticing younger patients showing up with haemorrhoid problems. Since nearly every teenager and young adult takes their phone everywhere, experts worry that these habits could trigger piles much earlier in life.
Haemorrhoids are extremely common—up to a quarter of adults deal with them at some point—and while many cases go away on their own, thousands of people need surgery every year. That’s why gastroenterologists are stressing simple prevention: keep your bathroom visits short. Ideally, you should be in and out within three to five minutes. And if things aren’t moving, the advice is clear—get up, take a break, and come back later instead of scrolling endlessly in hopes that something will happen.
So, if you really can’t leave your phone behind, at least try sticking to that two TikTok limit. Because as doctors are saying, when you walk into the bathroom, you’ve got one job to do—and it isn’t catching up on Instagram.
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